


An Effort to Assist

by AnneCumberbatch



Series: Sometimes in the Evening [10]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Bathrooms, Caring, Caring Sherlock, Cleaning, Established Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Flu, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Helpful Sherlock, M/M, Shocked John, Sick John, Sometimes in the Evening, Surprised John Watson, domestic life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 06:32:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18047369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnneCumberbatch/pseuds/AnneCumberbatch
Summary: John gestured behind him, confounded, “There isn’t anything in the bathroom.”Sherlock rose from his chair and went to the bathroom door. “What do you mean anything?” He peered in over John’s shoulder. “Everything that is supposed to be in the bathroom is in the bathroom. What are you going on about?”





	An Effort to Assist

**Author's Note:**

> Short and sweet one this week.

“Someone’s been in our flat!” John flung open the bathroom door and Sherlock started at the kitchen table, where he had been peering into his microscope.

Searching his partner’s face for the source of his alarm, Sherlock felt John’s baffled expression mirrored on his own face. “What on earth is wrong with you?” Sherlock chastised him. “Is there a body in the bathroom I don’t know about?”

John gestured behind him, confounded, “There isn’t anything in the bathroom.”

Sherlock rose from his chair and went to the bathroom door. “What do you mean anything?” He peered in over John’s shoulder. “Everything that is supposed to be in the bathroom is in the bathroom. What are you going on about?”

John held his arms out in front of him, displaying the tiny room. “You’re seeing but not observing; it’s clean! The toilet’s been cleaned, the sink, the mirror, even the tub and the floor. It’s all been cleaned! Mrs. Hudson’s out of town so I thought Mycroft might have sent someone over since I’ve been ill, but the kitchen and living room look the same and it’s just the bathroom, but I swear I haven’t touched it.” John ran his hands through his hair. “I have no idea what’s going on. Did someone break in?”

“My love, why would someone break in to clean a bathroom?” Sherlock looked at him in amusement.

John shrugged, letting his arms fall to his sides. “I have no idea, a fanatic obsessed with clean toilets? I just… deduce the place, will you? I’m so confused.”

Sherlock leaned against the doorframe, looking between the bathroom and his partner. “John.”

“Hm?” John was looking at the sink in closer inspection. “Whoever did it even managed to get the tiny parts in-between the faucet handles that I can never quite get. How did they _do_ that?”

“John.” Sherlock had an eyebrow raised in slight amusement.

“And they also cleaned the grout on the shower tiles. That takes _time_ to do it this well. Whoever was here was here for a while.”

“John.” Sherlock reached out and grabbed John’s arm, spinning him back to face Sherlock.

John looked up at him. “What?”

“You see but you do not observe.” Sherlock kissed his forehead before walking back to the kitchen table.

John stood still for a few minutes before following him out. “You know who cleaned the bathroom.”

“Of course, I do.” Sherlock settled back in his chair.

“It was Mycroft, wasn’t it. Because I’ve been sick. You know I told you I’d be better in a few days; I was planning on cleaning it today. You shouldn’t have felt guilty enough about my being sick that you accepted his offer.” John leaned against the fridge.

“It wasn’t Mycroft. Don’t be an idiot, John.” Sherlock peered into the ocular lens of the microscope before him.

“I’m not an idiot, if you know just tell me. I want to know who’s been in our home!”

“No one, John!” Sherlock gave him a look. “No one has been in our home. Are you so blind that you haven’t realised the answer is literally staring you in the face as you speak?”

John blinked. “Y…” He blinked again. “You  _cleaned_?”

Sherlock rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath as he turned back to his microscope, “Obviously.”

“You never clean.”

“You’re not a servant, John. I am fully capable of also attending to our domestic requirements,” Sherlock grumbled.

“I’m sure you are, I’ve just never seen you do it before.” John went over to his chair and rested a tentative hand on Sherlock’s shoulder. “You don’t have to.”

“Clearly, I have been remiss in my treatment of you as a partner if my cleaning the bathroom nearly gave you an aneurism.” Sherlock leaned into John’s touch. “You shouldn’t do all of the housework.”

“You know I don’t mind it.” John rubbed his fingers into Sherlock’s trapezius, his voice quiet.

“We are partners, are we not? Equal in this relationship?” Sherlock leaned his head back until it rested against John’s torso.

“Yes, my love, we are.”

John’s fingers continued working on Sherlock’s shoulder and he closed his eyes and hummed in pleasure. “Then I will make more of an effort to assist in the chores of everyday life. If I would die for you and kill for you, then I can clean a bathroom and wash a few dishes. The price is not nearly as great.” He turned his head and placed a kiss on John’s hand. “And the reward is just as precious.”

John bent over and kissed Sherlock’s forehead. “I love you.”

“I know.” Sherlock reached a hand up and patted John’s hand, still on his shoulder. “Now go read or watch something while I finish this.”

With one last kiss, John went into the living room and Sherlock turned back to his experiment.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, questions, and critiques are always welcome. Thank you so much for reading!  
> Writing's gotten difficult this past week, so thank you for staying with me!


End file.
